Our Client’s Issue:

Our client came to us shortly after completing their new home and wanted to create a welcoming landscape that was note gravel and mud that they have lived with for the past year:

• A welcome walkway design that leads their guests to the main door.
• Provide a division or screen between their property and their neighbour to the west, located at a lower elevation.
• A Patio space for their walkout basement apartment
• Planting beds that are low maintenance and don’t require much watering
• Integrated solutions to deal with the slope along the front of the house

Our Solution:

• Curves throughout the design create a funnel-like path that leads the eye and guests comfortably and welcomes them towards the front door or the basement walkout apartment.
• Using a mixture of suitable native plant species and drought-resistant cultivars, we reduced our client’s maintenance and watering needs. Allowing them to spend more time on what matters more to them, their family.
• We continued a large arc around the back of the house, terminating at a circular patio. This walkway and patio provide access to the basement walkout apartment’s entrance and an outdoor place to call their own, entertain and BBQ.
• We used large shade trees, mostly maples and spruces, to create an edge for the walkway and basement patio, which helped to visually screen the neighbour’s house and reduce the visual expanse between them.
• Using small natural, locally quarried armour stone blocks, we reflected the arcs, creating terraced garden beds, allowing us to retain the slope across the front of the house while providing beautiful planting beds.
• We also provided suggestions for the deck railings and deck skirting in our 3D design.
  • Funny side note: The client got mad at us because our 3D presentation model unintentionally “planted a worm” in her mind. The deck design wasn’t in our contract, but we used the plans to coordinate planting designs. Unsure about the railings from the plans we were given, we added glass ones in the model, which ended up selling her on the idea.

• Existing Site Inventories and Analysis
  • Inventories of existing plants and trees, including location, size, etc.
  • Topographical information (spot elevations)
  • Analysis of site conditions
    • Sun, shade, and wind patterns
    • Visual impacts within and off the subject property

• Design
  • Work with your potential clients to determine their wish lists, design preferences
  • Created a beautiful design to meet the client’s requirements
  • 3D Models and Flythroughs
  • Phasing and master plans to meet their budget
  • Help to site their future garage

• Construction
  • Detailed plans for the contractor to build from
  • Construction review to ensure the project is built to high-quality standards their project requires
• Permits
  • Based on our comprehensive review of the local municipality’s zoning and building bylaws, this landscape design did not require any permits